BIR2012: Mirage by Kristi Cook

Today I'm featuring Mirage by Kristi Cook.  It's the second book in her Winterhaven Series.  You can find my review here.  I met Kristi at a casual dinner with other bloggers and authors during BEA 2011. She is just so much fun and I love her books!  I have a super fun interview with her today and a giveaway for a copy of Mirage.  Without further ado, here's my interview with the lovely Kristi Cook.


We should get the book boy questions out of the way:

What is your favorite thing about Aidan?

Oh, man....I love so many things about Aidan! Mostly, I think, that he's just so steady, so sure of himself and what he wants. The fact that he's lived a long time gives him a sense of maturity, yet he still retains his 17 yr. old mentality--so he's still vulnerable to fits of insecurity and jealousy. In other words, he's still a teenage guy! I love that balance. He's not interested in sowing his oats--he's already been there, done that--so he's able to be completely sure about his feelings for Violet. And yet it's still a crazy passionate, 'all-in' kind of love, like teenagers are so prone to having.

How did you build Aidan's character as someone who started his (very long) life as a young nobleman in Dorset? Did you struggle to keep him in character as someone who lived through so much history in his lifetime?

That was actually easy for me--and very natural. Before I switched to YA fiction, I wrote nearly a dozen adult historical romances set in England during the Regency and Edwardian eras. So in my mind, Aidan is very similar to my romance heroes. He often speaks a little more formally than everyone else at Winterhaven--and again, it's easy for me to slip into those dialogue patterns.

Has Aidan's character changed from his first incarnation or has he stayed relatively the same from the very beginning?

I think he's gotten a little less optimistic, beaten down by the roadblocks thrown into his path (I feel so badly about that, LOL!). But the more he falls for Violet, the more desperate he becomes for his cure--and every step closer seems to result in a few steps back.

I have to say that I love that there is One Direction on Aidan's Mirage Playlist. My 5 year old daughter LOVES them so we listen to them often in our house.

As the mother of 11 yr. old and 13 yr. old daughters, One Direction is inescapable in my house. Though I can't complain--I actually like them a lot! My husband and I took them to their concert last spring, and it was a blast. I might even have a teeny-tiny crush on Harry Styles. Just maybe....

Now for some Mirage questions:

First off, the ending was EVIL! Combining that ending with the next book not being released until next Fall.... I may not recover from the anxiety of that wait! ;)

I know--I feel so badly about that! It actually wasn't the way I planned the book to end--it just kind of happened. I'm actually not a big fan of cliffhanger endings, myself.

Do you have a favorite new character in Mirage? Or did a supporting character just grab you?

Oh, it's a toss up between Tyler and Matthew! I love them both, for different reasons. Tyler is just fun--though I apologize for his foul mouth. And Matthew...well, he's a very tricky character to write, for obvious reasons. I have to be very, very careful not to cross the line with him. But I love that he's basically selfless. He's there for Violet 100%, and asks for absolutely nothing in return.

What is your typical writing atmosphere like? Do you have to have certain music or snacks? Is it Kid-Free Time or does it just happen as it happens?

I'm a total 'it happens as it happens' writer! Kids come and go into my office (actually, last night my 11 yr. old wandered in, read the scene on the screen, took it upon herself to point out that a line of dialogue didn't sound right--and fixed it for me, LOL!). I usually have music playing--sometimes I'll find a song that just suits the mood of a scene perfectly, and I'll put it on loop and play it over and over as I write. Actually, Ed Sheeran's "Kiss Me" has basically been the soundtrack for half of ETERNAL (the last book in the series). And I almost always have a bottle of water and a bag of Skittles handy.

And now for something completely unrelated, I know you probably don't remember but I went to dinner with you and a number of bloggers and authors at BEA 2011. It was a triumphant night for me as I actually ate the entire meal with chopsticks. (At BEA 2012, our group of roommates hit an authentic ramen house where we were expected to eat ramen with chopsticks. It did not go as well.) Level with me, do your kids really eat sushi and how did you end up with a love of rice and fish?

LOL, I *totally* remember! That was so much fun. But yeah, my kids are major sushi eaters--not just the rolls, but the slabs of raw fish (sashimi). Personally, I don't eat anything raw--I just don't like the consistency. But I think for kids growing up in New York City, it's just in the genes!

Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview, Kristi! 

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